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nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tonubu in a
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nationwide broadcast on Tuesday evening
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For the first time more than a decade in
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the history of the West Africa country
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declared a state of emergency in rivers
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state and suspended for initial 6 months
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the governor similar and his deputy in
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Goaziodu all elected members of the
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state house of assembly and appointed
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retired vice admiral Abokas as
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administrator to work with the existing
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laws of Rivers state with the members of
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the state judiciary following the
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apparent personal political crisis
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between the Rivers state Governor
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Simolai Fabara and his former boss and
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the immediate past governor of the state
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Naism WK who is currently the minister
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of the federal capital territory FCT
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that was seen a few days ago in a viral
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video apparently making carless
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statements as a government official
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statements capable of instigating a
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particular ethnic group against the
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government wherein the FCT minister has
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said thus that people are minority group
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in the south south and if their son
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Fabara is impeached nothing would
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happened after the statements YK refused
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to apologize to the IO people despite
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public outcry and condemnations days
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after as confirmed by President Bola
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Ahmed Tonubu some militants started
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destroying crude oil pipelines in rivers
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state as media reports trends and
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indicated that prok lawmakers may have
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concluded plans to impeach Governor
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Simolai Fabara Details of the words of
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President Bola Ahmed Tanubu during the
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nationwide broadcast of the state of
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emergency declaration in River State
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reads verbatim below is made available
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by one of the spokespersons to the
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president on media beo on Ananuga Text
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of the broadcast by President Bola Ahmed
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Tanubu commander and chief of the armed
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forces declaring state of emergency in
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Rivers state on Tuesday the 18th of
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2025 Fellow Nigerians I feel greatly
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disturbed at the turn we have come to
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regarding the political crisis in River
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State Like many of you I have watched
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with concern the development with the
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hope that the parties involved would
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allow good sense to prevail at the
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soonest But all that hope burned out
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without any solution to the crisis With
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the crisis persisting there is no way
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democratic governance which we have all
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fought and worked for over the years can
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thrive in a way that will redown to the
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benefit of the good people of the state
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The state has been at a standstill since
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the crisis started with the good people
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of the state not being able to have
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access to the dividends of democracy
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Also it is public knowledge that the
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governor of Rivers state for
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unjustifiable reasons demolished the
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House of Assembly of the state as far
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back as the 13th of December 2023 and
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has up until now 144 14 months after not
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rebuild same I have made personal
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interventions between the contending
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parties for a peaceful resolution of the
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crisis but my efforts have been largely
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ignored by the parties to the crisis I
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am also aware that many well-meaning
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Nigerians leaders of thought and
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patriotic groups have also intervened at
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various times with the best of
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intentions to resolve the matter but all
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their efforts were also to no avail
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Still I thank them On February 28th 2025
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the Supreme Court in a judgment in
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respect of about eight consolidated
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appeals concerning the political crisis
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in River State based on several grave
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unconstitutional acts and disregard of
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rule of law that have been committed by
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the governor of River State as shown by
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the evidence before it pronounced in
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very clear terms A government cannot be
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said to exist without one of the three
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arms that make up the government of a
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state under the 1999 constitution as
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amended In this case the head of the
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executive arm of the government has
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chosen to collapse the legislature to
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enable him to govern without the
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legislature as a despot As it is there
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is no government in River's state The
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above pronouncement came after a catalog
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of judicial findings of constitutional
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breaches against the governor similar
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fabara going forward in their judgment
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and having found and held the 27 members
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of the house who had allegedly defected
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are still valid members of rivers state
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house of assembly and cannot be
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prevented from participating in the
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proceedings of that house by the eighth
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respondent that is the governor in
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cohorts with four members The Supreme
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Court then made some orders to restore
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the state to immediate constitutional
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democracy These orders include the
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immediate passing of an appropriation
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bill by the River State House of
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Assembly which up till now has not been
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facilitated Some militants had
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threatened fire and brimstone against
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their perceived enemy of the governor
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who has up till now not downed them
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Apart from that both the house and the
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governor have not been able to work
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together Both of them do not realize
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that they are in office to work together
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for the peace and good governance of the
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state The latest security reports made
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available to me show that between
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yesterday and today there have been
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disturbing incidents of vandalization of
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pipelines by some militant without the
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governor taking any action to curtail
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them I have of course given stern order
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to the security agencies to ensure
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safety of lives of the good people of
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Rivers state and the oil pipelines With
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all these and many more no good and
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responsible president will stand by and
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allow the grave situation to continue
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without taking remedial steps prescribed
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by the constitution to address the
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situation in the state which no doubt
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requires extraordinary measures to
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restore good governance peace order and
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security In the circumstance having
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soberly reflected on and evaluated the
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political situation in Rivers State and
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the governor and deputy governor of
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Rivers State having failed to make a
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request to me as president to issue this
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proclamation as required by section
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3055 of the 1999 constitution as amended
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It has become inevitably compelling for
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me to invoke the provision of section
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305 of the constitution of the Federal
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Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended to
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declare a state of emergency in Rivers
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state with effect from today the 18th of
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March 2025 and I so do by this
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declaration the governor of River State
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Mr Simolai Fabara his deputy Mrs
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Zingaziodu and all elected members of
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the House of Assembly of Rivers state
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are hereby suspended for an initial
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period of 6 months In the meantime I
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hereby nominate Vice Admiral Aboke
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retired as administrator to take charge
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of the affairs of the state in the
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interest of the good people of River
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State For the avoidance of doubt this
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declaration does not affect the judicial
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arm of River State which shall continue
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to function in accordance with the
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constitutional mandate The administrator
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will not make any new laws He will
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however be free to formulate regulations
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as may be found necessary to do his job
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but such regulations will need to be
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considered and approved by the Federal
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Executive Council and promulgated by the
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president for the state This declaration
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has been published in the Federal
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Gazette a copy of which has been
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forwarded to the National Assembly in
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accordance with the Constitution It is
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my fervent hope that this inevitable
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intervention will help to restore peace
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and order in River State by awakening
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all the contenders to the constitutional
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imperatives binding on all political
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players in Rivers state in particular
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and Nigeria as a whole Long live a
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united peaceful secure and democratic
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Rivers state in particular and the
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Federal Republic of Nigeria as a whole
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spoken all this and maybe law speaks all
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this will die and the law has spoken all
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this and let me tell you something and
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people should have that right it just
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does not constitute the majority of
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delta people must speak at the truth
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heaven will not fall the only not two
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types it just does not constitute the
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what nonsense every day you wake
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will do this in a cannot be governor
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in Delta is minority of the minority
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with all due respect to our
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late system Ed from Delta He had never
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produced a job to the governor of
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never the only place a man can show the
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not in rivers a minority of the minority
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benefici bringing you the news in a more
